Shuttling to New York (and back)

20Jul
DL9247 sch dep BOS 0720, actual 0722. sch arr LGA 0830, actual 0831
727-200, N???D?, 4 FA's

I arrived at BOS VERY early. I had completely overestimated the amount of time it would take to get to the airport. Thanks to the quietness of the traffic, it was a quick cab ride from home to the Delta Shuttle operations at Terminal A. Upon arriving at the counter I was given the option of the 0720 shuttle (I had been booked on the 0730 flight). Apparently, DL had seen the demand and put on an "extra section". Since I would much rather have arrived in LGA earlier than later, and I was already at the airport, I said yes, so I was printed a boarding pass for DL9247.

I cleared security, went through the newspaper and magazine gauntlet (picking up a Boston Globe and Financial Times enroute), and settled myself into some seats in good view of gate 6. I noted that there was coffee and OJ available for passengers of the shuttle in the gate area. In addition, there were a pair of DL BusinessElite seats in the gate area, either for passengers to try out, or just for people to sit on (I saw more people doing the latter).

Boarding was called on time at 0650. I left behind most of the Boston Globe (it only took me about 10 minutes to read 5 sections - worthless newspaper!), but took the two remaining sections and the FT on board with me. I was the third person on board. The guy in front of me had an absolutely monstrous carryon. The flight attendants yelled at him but allowed him to stow it in the closet. They claimed that most Shuttle 72s don't have closets (I was on 4 seperate 72s in four days, and only one did have a closet that I saw). I selected my seat, 4D (right hand side of the plane, first row with an underseat stowage area as 3DEF was bulkhead). I stowed my single bag (backpack) overhead.

While waiting for boarding to progress, I finished the Boston Globe (yawn), and paged through enough of Sky Magazine to confirm that this was the same one I read earlier in the month. The door was closed promptly at 0720 and we pushed two minutes later at 0722. During all of my Shuttle flights I was quite pleased by the lack of delay between door closing and pushback. We taxied to the runway and were airborne at 0736.

After takeoff the four efficient flight attendants quickly brought out their carts (four seperate carts) and passed out the snack (bagel, 3/4oz lite philly cream cheese, strawberry jam, and a wetnap), and served drinks. I asked for and received two bottles of water. My rowmate (sitting in 4F, there was nobody in 4E) did the same, thus clearing that cart of water. Turns out they only carry four bottles per cart in the morning. After the snack came along, I brought my backpack down from overhead and stored it in the underseat space of 4E (it wouldn't fit underseat in 4D).

I read the Financial Times on the way down (and I was thrilled with it, too, I finished it just before landing!). I was still reading it when the captain rang final at 0813. We touched down and were soon at gate 6 at 0831. I made a quick pitstop (empty when I went in, there was a line when I came out!), and I made my way down to the Water Shuttle counter. Quick note: if I'd taken the 0730 shuttle rather than the 0720, it's rather doubtful I would have made a successful connection to the water shuttle.

I'd never taken the Water Shuttle before. I chose it mostly for practical reasons. I've arrived at LGA on a weekend Shuttle and I know what a scrum it can be to get a taxi. I figured the week would be even worse. The Gray Line shuttle to Grand Central was an option, but the schedule wasn't as reliable as the Water Shuttle. For $25 round trip I would get water transport timed to meet the Shuttle on both ends, with a connecting shuttle bus which went from the 34th street and 1st Ave Ferry port right past the Javits Center (oh, and I got 100 SkyMiles each way for the water shuttle, too!). Yes, the trip was a little longer than a taxi if the taxi made good time, but at 0830, no taxi would make good time. Indeed, as we went down 34th on the shuttle bus, I noted with glee that the midtown tunnel exit was very busy.

I bought my tickets and followed the signs to the shuttle. It was a rather pleasant ride, although the trip ran a littie (~10 minutes) behind schedule. Never mind, the free connecting shuttle bus was waiting when we reached the 34th street ferryport. I asked one of the workers which bus to get on, and they pointed me in the right direction. I was on the bus, and got off at 34th and 11th, next to the Javits.

One day of MacWorld later, I considered taking a taxi back to LaGuardia. I was thoroughly exhausted. I had slept perhaps 3.5 hours the night before, on top of getting up at 0530 so I could catch the shuttle in time. My shuttle bus driver told me that I would have to get the xx53 bus in time to catch the xy45 water shuttle from the 1st Ave ferry port. I had just missed that bus (I was aiming for the 1645 water shuttle), so I went out to look at the taxi stand.

There were at least twenty people in line, and no yellow taxis. There were many pirate cab drivers standing around calling "taxi, taxi?". One of them offered to take me to LaGuardia for $35. I said "no way". He lowered his offer to $30. I said "pass". He said "you can't get a taxi for less than that". I said "no, but I can get the water shuttle". I left him sputtering and walked up to the bus stop. Unfortunately, the 1553 bus was long gone, but a city bus (M34) was there. I got on, and found I was without exact change (my father-in-law had all of my quarters). I bought a token from a man on the bus. We were soon off down 34th street towards 1st Ave. En route, we were passed by the 1608 Ferry shuttle bus. I took note of that bus, figuring I could catch it next time. It did beat us to the ferry port. Never mind, I reached the ferry port in plenty of time to catch the water shuttle.

The 1645 34th->La Guardia was the only water shuttle that ran on schedule. We pulled into the Marine Air Terminal a comfortable 14 minutes before departure time. I was off the water shuttle, across the road, and to security. I showed my photo ID (you have to do that at security if you have an electronic ticket), went through security (I had already dumped everything metal into my backpack so I wouldn't beep), ran up the ramp (grabbing a USAeless Today enroute), and got my ETBA (electronic ticket boarding authority). The 1730 was so full they sent another one at 1715, so I ended up boarding yet another extra section.

DL9266 sch dep LGA 1730, actual 1735. sch arr BOS 1850, actual 1848
727-200, N???D?, 4 FA's

I got on board and the plane wasn't too full (which I already knew, actually, as I had boarding pass sequence number 043). I staked myself a seat out in 10D, stowing my bag under 10E yet again. The door was closed at 1734, we pushed at 1735, and took off from runway 13 at 1800 (bleah, 25 minutes on the taxiway at LGA).

Cabin service was VERY quick. The plane was not very full (probably 80 seats full in all). The FAs rolled the four carts down the aisle and did a drinks service (they do carry more water in the afternoon), and passed out a snack which was a salad composed of lettuce, radishes, cucumber, tomato, and cheese, topped with chicken. It came with buttermilk ranch dressing and a small chocolate on the side. I wasn't hungry, so I hung onto my salad and nursed my water. The USAeless today took no time to finish, I was well done with it by the time the captain rang final at 1824. We touched down at 1831 (just 31 minutes in the air!), yet due to gate jockeying (the 1830 to DCA was at our gate), we did not dock until 1848.

21Jul
I had been so exhausted after arriving home on 20Jul that I considered not going back to New York on the 21st. My husband instead convinced me just to wake up as normal (0730 instead of 0530) and see how I felt. I did feel quite refreshed, so I got ready to go on the 0930 instead. The traffic to Logan was quite surprisingly light. I wasn't shocked by the 0700 cab ride being quick, but the 0845 ride was just as speedy!

DL1827 sch dep BOS 0930, actual 0930. sch arr LGA 1040, actual 1103
727-200, N???D?, 4 FA's

I arrived at Logan having just missed the 0830 shuttle (at about 0840). So check in was very quick. Once again I was through security, but this time I took more time to peruse the newspapers. I grabbed a Herald (read it and ditched it), Globe (made it onto the airplane with me), and FT. I didn't want to take more than that on board with me, not for just a flight of an hour!

Boarding was called at 0905. Another day, another shuttle aircraft (and my first not extra section flight, too!). All of them seem to be different at least by a little bit. Some of them are done up in red and blue, others in red and grey. This one (and I wish I had the ship number) also had electronic seats! Instead of a push button to recline, flip a switch and the seat cushion moves forward while the seatback reclines. VERY cool! There were no ashtrays in the arms either. I checked twice to make sure this was a 727-200 (and not a 737-800 that they might have slipped in on the run).

No surprise, this flight was quite empty. Everybody who wanted to be in New York for meetings was already there. The door was closed at 0930 and we pushed the same minute! Except there was a hitch. We sat on the tarmac for a few minutes (while I read through the Boston Globe). Not long after, the Flight Engineer came on the PA to say that a "light was on" and we were going back to the terminal to have it looked at.

We pulled back into the gate and the maintenance guys trooped on. There was something wrong with something up by the front boarding door. The FA claimed there was a funny smell (*I* could smell it, and so could the woman in 4C). The maintenance guys mucked with something and everything checked out, so we pushed back again at 0959. That told me that I had no shot at all of taking the 1045 water shuttle (not unless the 727 went supersonic!). I spent the rest of the flight down (when not reading the FT) brainstorming on my transportation options.

The same bagel with cream cheese and jam were doled out as the day before. I'd had a later breakfast so I didn't eat it, choosing to stick it in my backpack for nibbling on later instead. The captain rang final at 1055 and we touched down at 1102, arriving at the gate at 1103 (thanks to favourable runway conditions).

After landing, I chose to take a taxi to the Javits. Ugh that hit my employer in the wallet: $26 including tip (in other words, the cost of one round trip water shuttle ticket). But I did arrive there just 35 minutes after landing at LGA. I was not willing to wait for the 1145 water shuttle, and I figured there would not be much (at least for Manhattan) traffic at 1115. I was right. The only minus was the cabby took the Triboro (which doesn't make much sense when going to Midtown. Wouldn't the tunnel have made more sense? Can some native New Yorker educate me?).

MacWorld was over at 1600 on Friday. I was standing at the curb at 1553 and caught the New York waterway shuttle bus. It's a good thing I did. It took 40 minutes to get across town (due mostly to the jamup at the entrance to the midtown tunnel). The 1608 bus would have been too late. The bus on Friday was quiet, but the water shuttle itself was MOBBED. Obviously everybody wants to leave New York on Friday. :-)

The water shuttle trip was very calming after the crazy trip across town. The boat did run a few minutes late, however, and it wasn't until 1721 that we pulled into the dock. I jogged into the terminal and through security. I was quite surprised to find no extra section. In addition, my sequence number was 164. I knew what that meant: middle seat. Once I got on board the FA told me "your bag will have to go under the seat". I had planned to put my backpack under my seat, but I also had a tote bag of crap (er, pickings) from the show. Luckily, I ended up in a row which had just a little bit of room overhead (room enough for one totebag).

DL1842 sch dep LGA 1730, actual 1730. sch arr BOS 1849, actual 1901
727-200, N???D?, 4 FA's

Because of so many stragglers, the door didn't close until 1735, and we pushed one minute later. Once again there was a wait for takeoff, but we were away at 1755. By this time I was quite hungry, so I was very glad when the carts trundled down the aisle. It was the same salad as the day before. I had not eaten it Thursday, but Friday I ate almost all of it (except the cukes and radishes). In addition, I nibbled my bagel from the morning (with the jam, but not the cream cheese).

The safety cards for the 727 were absolutely ANCIENT. They had the very old Delta livery and information on them (I'd guess they date from DL's aquisition of the Shuttle route). The cabin magazine racks were stocked full of Sky Magazine and more of these safety cards.

Another note: the shuttle FAs seemed to ad lib their safety demonstrations much more than mainline (perhaps because they know it better?). For example, traditionally it's "if you are seated in an exit row and do not meet these requirements or do not WISH to sit there", while on shuttle they said "do not WANT to sit there". In addition, they didn't say "fasten the seatbelt so that it fits low and tight across your hips", but they said "fasten the seatbelt over your lap". Idiomatic differences? I don't know. But the hips/lap and wish/want were consistent across all of the shuttle flights. Perhaps they just have a different script.

I was squashed into seat 5B with one snoring businessman at the window, and a boat-crazed man in 5C who had a brand new Garmin GPS 12. He wanted to try his GPS out during flight, but made the mistake of asking permission. DL's website clearly states that GPSes are OK in flight. But since he asked, the captain refused (it's not like 727 has anything electronic to disrupt :-). I spent part of the time talking to him about his GPS (comparing it to the Garmin GPS II+ that Christopher and I own), and reading my homework for the next day ("Getting to Yes" for my conflict resolution class).

The seatbelt light was off for a mere 17 minutes. Final was rung at 1833 and we touched down at 1842. This time it was USAirways on the apron that caused us not to be able to dock right away. We pulled into the gate at 1901.

Funny result: I ended up getting for each flight: 500 base miles, 500 gold medallion miles, and 500 "shuttle double" miles. So I got 3000 miles in two days (not counting the 100 miles I will get for each of my water shuttle legs). Not a bad way to accrue base mileage. I'm at 38K for the year: just 12K more for gold!

Next trip: ??? probably DCA in August (another Shuttle flight!)

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